America's first woman in space will become the second NASA astronaut to be honored with a United States postage stamp in 2018.
Sally Ride, who made history launching aboard the space shuttle Challenger in June 1983, will be depicted on a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) stamp. A preliminary design for the commemorative shows a painted portrait of Ride from the time of her first spaceflight set against the partial backdrop of the space shuttle lifting off.
onesmallstep Member
Posts: 1376 From: Staten Island, New York USA Registered: Nov 2007
posted 12-14-2017 01:59 AM
Bravo! Hope they produce this stamp in its own sheet of twenty, or sixteen like the recent total eclipse stamp. Also would be nice if it is released before the 35th anniversary of STS-7 in June.
nasaliftoff Member
Posts: 13 From: FL Registered: Apr 2017
posted 01-24-2018 04:10 AM
Good news and I actually hope they make it into a souvenir sheet with the space shuttle launching in the background with however many stamps inside.
abgoodies18 Member
Posts: 23 From: Atlanta, GA Registered: Feb 2017
posted 02-10-2018 08:56 PM
I am really happy to see this Sally Ride stamp.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49021 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
A new U.S. postage stamp honoring the late Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly into space, now has a launch date.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) on Wednesday (Feb. 28) set May 23, 2018 as the first day of issue for its Sally Ride commemorative Forever stamp. A ceremony will be held in La Jolla, California.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49021 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
The Postmaster General of the United States will join a famous tennis star and the first Hispanic female astronaut to dedicate a new U.S. postage stamp for the late Sally Ride, America's first woman in space.
Billie Jean King, who was friends with Ride, and astronaut Ellen Ochoa, who followed in Ride's footsteps flying on the space shuttle, will take part in the Postal Service's first day of issue ceremony for the Sally Ride stamp on May 23 at the University of California (UC) San Diego.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49021 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-16-2018 08:17 PM
The USPS will offer three different pictorial postmarks for the first day of issue of the Sally Ride stamp, including a special postmark for temporary dedication stations (top), a digital color pictorial postmark (lower left) and a black and white pictorial postmark.
Cusotmers have 120 days [beginning May 23, 2018] to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmarks by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office or at The Postal Store website. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:
FDOI – Sally Ride Stamp USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services 8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300 Kansas City, MO 64144-9900
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49021 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
Sally Ride did not know it at the time, there is no way she could have, but a photo that she autographed 35 years ago would provide the inspiration for her portrait on a new U.S. postage stamp.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) on Wednesday (May 23) is set to honor the late astronaut, who in 1983 became the first American woman to launch to space. The Forever-denomination issue marks only the second time in the USPS's history that an astronaut has been commemorated in such a way.
MarylandSpace Member
Posts: 1406 From: Registered: Aug 2002
posted 05-23-2018 01:17 PM
I just bought two sheets of Sally Ride stamps today. They look good.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49021 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
America's first woman in space can now be found at your local U.S. post office.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) on Wednesday (May 23) launched sales of a new postage stamp honoring Sally Ride. The commemorative issue features a portrait of the astronaut in her light blue flight suit with a depiction of the space shuttle lifting off in the background.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49021 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
Maybe it was the spotlight, or perhaps it was the skill of the artist who had created her likeness, but Sally Ride seemed to glow as the curtain fell, revealing the larger than life art for the U.S. postage stamp depicting the late astronaut.
"That is an amazing stamp! It captures Sally's warm smile, and that mischievous little twinkle in her eye. It's drop dead gorgeous," exclaimed Tam O'Shaughnessy, Ride's life and business partner, at the ceremony held Wednesday (May 23) to dedicate the United States Postal Service's (USPS) new commemorative honoring the first American woman to fly in space.
RMH Member
Posts: 581 From: Ohio Registered: Mar 2001
posted 05-31-2018 02:38 PM
Does anyone know if Ken Havekotte (Space Coast Cover Service) is producing any special covers for this stamp issue?
Ken Havekotte Member
Posts: 3511 From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard Registered: Mar 2001
posted 05-31-2018 04:01 PM
Yes, I'll be offering two to three different cachet design covers for Sally Ride's official FDC issue on May 23rd. Will also have a few unofficial first day cover productions as well.
Once everything is completed, I'll post here again.
Ross Member
Posts: 521 From: Australia Registered: Jul 2003
posted 06-04-2018 10:48 AM
I notice that the two special postmarks that I've seen for the Sally Ride stamp are for La Jolla which I believe is a suburb of San Diego. I was wondering why La Jolla was selected rather than say Los Angeles which is Sally's hometown.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49021 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-04-2018 11:00 AM
La Jolla is where Sally Ride served as a professor of physics at the University of California San Diego, it is where Sally Ride Science is now based, and it is where she was residing when she died in 2012.
Tam O'Shaughnessy, Ride's life and business partner, chose UC San Diego for the USPS dedication ceremony.
Ross Member
Posts: 521 From: Australia Registered: Jul 2003
posted 06-05-2018 09:41 AM
Thanks Robert. That makes sense. I wonder if anyone thought to produce covers with a L.A. postmark. They would make a nice addition to the official postmarks.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49021 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-08-2018 07:13 AM
USPS video
America's first woman in space, Sally Ride (1951–2012), inspired the nation as a pioneering astronaut, brilliant physicist and dedicated educator. This tribute video features colleagues at NASA and those who lives have been forever touched by Ride's contributions and legacies, and it highlights Ride's importance as an American hero, a role model to young women, and her impact on our nation and future generations of space explorers.
This video debuted at the First-Day-of-Issue ceremony, prior to the revealing of the Sally Ride Forever Stamp at the University of California, San Diego on Wednesday, May 23, 2018.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49021 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-18-2018 10:06 AM
Thirty-five years ago today (June 18), Sally Ride became the first American woman in space. Pictured here, a cover previously postmarked on June 18, 1983 at Kennedy Space Center for Sally Ride's launch on space shuttle Challenger's STS-7 crew is stamped and postmarked again on May 23, 2018 in La Jolla, Califonria for the first day of issue of the USPS stamp honoring Ride.